He felt the cold metal press into the side of his neck, the air was caught somewhere between his chest and throat as fear clouded his eyes.
"What do you want?" He asked finding his voice.
"I think you know." He answered calmly.
He felt a tear fall over his cheek, he had never given death a second thought before now. It had always been something that had been far off, something that wasn't going to happen for a long while. Not any more. In this moment he could hear death's soft whisper in his ear, telling him that he is welcome to join.
"Why me?" He asked, knowing it was a corny question, there was so much more he wanted to know.
"You idiot. This has nothing to do with you. You are just in the wrong place at the wrong time, sorry for your luck kid." The older man said, pushing the pistol harder into the skin above his collar bone.
"I don't want to die." He said, as the sensation in his elbows left from having his hands at the back of his head too long. His knees ached from the position he was forced into.
"Who says you have to die?" He knelled down in front of his victim. "I could just put a bullet directly through your spinal cord; put you in a wheel chair the rest of your life. Have a nurse feed you with a spoon. It'd be like a vacation, wouldn't have to lift a finger." He smiled, his face was dead of humanity, as another tear dripped out of his eye.
"Please? Just let me go." He begged.
"If you behave yourself and just let me get what I want, this will go a lot smoother." He stood up again to look out the window. "They should be here soon and the show can begin. Your friends are not very punctual are they?" He turned back to his helpless victim and took a step back. "I think I know a couple of ways to pass the time until they get here." He said coolly as he reached back and brought the gun down, over his victim's cheek.
"Ah!" He screamed as he feel forward loosing his balance. Bringing his hand to his face, he found blood dripping out of a fresh cut.
"On your knees Detective, hands behind your head. Now." He said as he cocked the gun placing it painfully to the back of his skull. "I said now." He repeated in a vicious tone.
"Yes, sir." He replied as he moved back to his painful position.
"Now, tell me Detective Messer. Did you think you were going to die today?" He asked with a smile.
"Did you?" He answered with a smirk before the gun hit his cheek once again.
One Day Earlier...
Working late at the crime lab had it's advantages; some say it's quiet, some say it's easier to concentrate. For Danny Messer it was a place to escape his lonely apartment and a place for him to be with his recently ex girlfriend Lindsay Monroe. With paper work piling high on his desk, he sat with his head resting comfortably on his hand and he scribbled notes onto his case files. So invested in his work he barely noticed when there was a slight tap at the door.
"Working hard, I see." She said as she leaned against the doorway with a smile.
"Hey Linds." Danny replied looking up from his mountain of work. "I didn't realized how behind I was. What are you doing here?" He asked, leaning back in his comfortable chair.
"Looking for you actually." She answered looking at her feet.
"Why?" He said, masking the excitement. Things had been uncomfortable since their break.
"Want to get some coffee?" She said softly.
"Yeah, yes I really do." Danny smiled, getting up from his chair as he pulled his leather jacket over his shoulders.
"Not that I normally drink coffee in the middle of the night, I was just sitting at home feeling sorry for myself and thought I could use some company." Lindsay explained as they walked to the elevator.
"Feeling sorry for yourself?" Danny questioned, confused by her pain. "Why?"
"Just a rough case, I haven't gone home to an empty apartment in a long time and I just..." Lindsay paused as the elevator door opened as people got off on the floor, Lindsay looked at her feet. Danny danced on his tip toes waiting for her to finish.
Upon entering the elevator, Lindsay pushed Danny to the wall and kissed him. Shock rushed his body as he excepted the kiss, pulling his hands up and wrapping his fingers in her curly locks.
"Whoa, Lindsay." He managed to get out, softly pushing her back. "What are you doing?"
"You're right, I'm sorry." She said as she turned away from him and pressed her hands to her forehead. "I don't know what I'm doing. I just missed you." She said without looking at him.
"Yeah, why do you think I'm still here." He stated, looking at the wall.
"What?" Lindsay asked.
"I hate going home. It's empty. I stay here, because you're here. I hate what I did to you, but I can't be away from you. I'm a idiot."
"Shut up, Danny." Lindsay said, turning back to him.
"Huh?" Confusion clearly painting his face.
"Can't you just take this for what it is. I feel like crap, I just want to feel. It doesn't have to mean anything." Lindsay said with frustration.
"So what? You just want sex?" He stood with his arms out, grasping at what he thought she was saying.
"Yes. We've done it before. I'm stressed, I wanted to go home and get laid, but I can't because we broke up. BUT that doesn't mean we can't use each other... for well... stress relief." She said, looking away.
"Are you kidding me?" Danny said.
"Why would I be kidding?" Lindsay smiled.
"So you just want to have sex so you feel better?" He asked, just to clarify.
"Yes. Is that a problem?" She smiled again.
Without thinking Danny stepped forward and hit the emergency stop button on the elevator panel.
"Yes, it's a problem." Clearly angry, Lindsay looked at him sternly. "You can't do this to me. I've lost you once and it was the hardest thing I've had to do, now you want to act like nothing happened and FUCK whenever you have a bad day?"
"Why not? Wasn't that what Rikki was for?" She threw back, folding her arms across her chest.
"Unbelievable." He said stepping back, pain filling his face. "I have work to do." He said pressing the next floor button as the elevator moved, opening it's doors.
Before stepping off he turned back to Lindsay, "I told you I'm sorry, I told you it's a mistake, I love you and I screwed up. That doesn't give you the right to fuck with my head." He said before leaving the elevator, doors closing behind him.
